Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction of electromagnetic (EM) radiation, or “light,” with matter [1]. Instruments called spectrometers are used in spectroscopy to measure what are called spectra [1]. Spectra are typically a plot of light intensity on the y-axis versus some property of light on the x-axis, as measured by a spectrometer. The y-axis units may include, but are not limited to, absorbance, transmittance, percent transmittance, reflectance, logarithm of reflectance, percent reflectance, and arbitrary intensity. X-axis units may include, but are not limited to, wavelength, wavenumber, and frequency. Spectrometers can be used to measure spectra of samples. Spectra are useful because they contain information about samples including sample properties, the identity and the amount of chemical species present in a sample [2,3]. Chemical species include, but are not limited to, atoms, molecules, elements, ions, anions, cations, polyatomic cations, polyatomic anions, and polymeric molecules. Spectra may be used to predict any property of a sample including, examples including but not limited to viscosity, octane number, and pH [3].
The types of samples that spectrometers can analyze can be divided up into the three phases of matter: solids, liquids, and gases. For all three phases of matter, there is a need to identify and quantify the chemical species in samples. There exist general use spectrometers capable of performing this type of work, but they are often expensive, difficult to use, and bulky. For example, to calibrate a modern laboratory Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIS) to determine potency in marijuana buds took over a year of time for a Ph.D. scientist. It would be advantageous if such analyzers were made smaller and lightweight so they could be used outside the lab, easier to use so that many more people could use them, and pre-calibrated so that a highly educated scientist is not needed to make them functional.
Furthermore, some spectrometers of interest are only capable of working on gas samples. Given that much of the matter of analytical interest is in solid or liquid form, the advantages of such spectrometers cannot be brought to bear on these samples.
Therefore, in view of the aforementioned difficulties, there is an unsolved need for methods and systems for a compact and portable spectrometer. In addition, it would be an advancement in the state of the art to incorporate methods and systems for analysis of chemical properties of gases, solids, and liquids into a simple spectrometer. Finally, it would be a further advancement in the state of the art in one particular scenario to provide a spectrometer for the analysis of cannabis-based fluid- and solid-based products in a compact form factor.
It is against this background that various embodiments of the present invention were developed.